A small, long-legged shorebird that leads a double life between the frozen north and warm southern beaches. In summer, it breeds on bare coastal plains and tundra in north-eastern Siberia and nearby areas, with a few even nesting in western Alaska. In its bright breeding outfit, the bird is very eye-catching: the back is soft grey-brown, the underparts are white, and the chest, forehead, and sides of the neck glow with a rich chestnut band. A neat black “mask” around the eye makes the face look sharp and focused, as if the bird is wearing tiny sunglasses. Outside the breeding season, though, it switches to a plain grey-brown and white look. On wintering beaches, this “basic” plumage helps it blend in with sand and mud, turning a flashy traveller into a subtle, anonymous little plover.
This species has had a bit of a name shuffle in recent years. For a long time, it was treated as part of the lesser sand plover complex, along with birds that breed high on the Tibetan Plateau. Then, DNA studies showed that the Siberian group is actually more closely related to the larger greater sand plover than to its supposed Tibetan “siblings.” To match this new understanding, scientists split the old species in two: Siberian sand plover for the northern birds (Anarhynchus mongolus) and Tibetan sand plover for the plateau birds (A. atrifrons). Birdwatchers now pay close attention to bill length, body shape, and head pattern to tell these look-alikes apart, especially on Asian coasts where several sand plovers mix together in big flocks.
When the short Arctic summer ends, Siberian sand plovers set off on long migrations. They leave their nesting grounds in Siberia and Alaska and head mainly to sandy shores and tidal mudflats in East and Southeast Asia, where they spend the non-breeding season feeding along the water’s edge. They like wide, flat beaches, estuaries, and coastal lagoons, often gathering in mixed groups with other small shorebirds.
Distribution
Australia
China
East Timor
Fiji
Guam
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Japan
Korea
Malaysia
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Nauru
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nort. Mariana Is.
North Korea
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Russia
Solomon Islands
Taiwan
VanuatuAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Flock
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
